Human placental tissue has been used in various surgical procedures, including skin transplantation and ocular surface disorders, for over a century. The tissue has been shown to provide good wound protection, prevent surgical adhesions, reduce pain, reduce wound dehydration, and provide anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects.
The placenta is a fetomaternal organ consisting of a placental globe, umbilical cord, associated membranes (chorionic membrane and amniotic membrane), other gelatins, fluids, cells and extracellular material. The chorionic membrane and the amniotic membrane are attached by loose connective tissue and make up the placental sac. The innermost membrane of the placental sac is the amniotic membrane, which comes into contact with the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus. The amniotic membrane is avascular and lined by simple columnar epithelium overlying a basal membrane. The chorionic membrane is the outermost layer of the sac and is heavily cellularized. The placental membranes have an abundant source of collagen that provides an extracellular matrix to act as a natural scaffold for cellular attachment in the body. Collagen provides a structural tissue matrix that facilitates, among other things, cell migration and proliferation in vivo.
Various manufacturing processes have also been employed to create wound coverings composed of amniotic membrane, chorionic membrane, or intact amniotic and chorionic membranes recovered aseptically from human birth tissue after elective Cesarean surgery. There remains a need, however, for membranes that are uniquely processed to enhance the tissue's physical properties and to provide a material that can be stored for easy use.